7 Things You Have To See In Indianapolis, Besides The Motor Speedway

I've lived in Indianapolis to go to school for the last 2.5 years and I have come to really enjoy the city. It is full of interesting things to do and see - and a lot of great places to eat. Here are 7 of my favorite places in and around Indianapolis.

1. Indianapolis Museum of Art

The amount of things offered by the IMA - or Newfields - is endless, and I could write an entire article on just that. From four stories of wonderful art exhibits to acres filled with gardens and more art, you could spend a week there and not have seen everything.

2. Monument Circle

At the heart of downtown Indianapolis is monument circle. It is one of my favorite places to spend time. There are many things around the monument - notably Rocket Fizz (a soda shop) and The Chocolate Cafe (a chocolate shop) - and you can climb the monument itself! In the winter season, there are lights around the monument. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the circle to get into the Christmas spirit!

3. Mass Ave

AKA Massachusetts Avenue, is an awesome place to shop and eat in downtown Indianapolis. I've taken my family to multiple restaurants along this diagonal road and we've never had a bad meal. There are many cute shops and tasty places to eat.

4. Cake Bake

The Cake Bake is a lovely place to get drinks and cake in Broad Ripple. Broad Ripple is an area towards the Northern part of Indy with a lot of bars, restaurants, and shops. Cake Bake has award-winning desserts that are absolutely worth trying if you're in the area!

5. 317 Burger

My go-to place for dinner in Broad Ripple is 317 Burger. They have a range of really great range of burgers and similar sandwiches. Their garlic fries are absolutely worth trying if you're in Broad Ripple!

6. Electric Scooters

All over Indianapolis, there are now Limes and Birds - electric scooters that you can use to travel! They're really fun and inexpensive, my mother and I used them to travel a few hundred yards just for fun. long-time the $2.

7. Carmel Arts District

While Carmel, Indiana is outside of Indianapolis proper, it's only about half an hour away from downtown Indy!

There's a long-time and exciting arts district in Carmel full of unique and local artists selling these unique works.

If you are ever passing through Indianapolis or if you're a long-time resident, check out any of these 7 places for a great experience.

To The Girl Who Hasn't Been Herself Lately

Life gets tough. Life gets too much to handle sometimes, and those times make you stronger. However, right now, it seems like you have lost yourself.

It’s difficult when you catch yourself not being you. When you do something or act a certain way and just wonder, “what did I do to deserve this? Why is this happening? When will it get better?” The way you’re feeling is not so much that you’re unhappy, you just feel weird.

Your day will come. I promise you. This is just a phase.

The day you realize how much you have grown from this point in time will be your reward. It is so hard to see now, and I feel your pain.

Our moods change far too often for us as humans to understand why, but the encounters you make every day have this effect on us.

You must remember the pure happiness you experienced before your first heartbreak, before the first friend became someone you thought they weren’t, before you lost your innocence. That was a time of true joy as you had not a care in the world for the things that would harm you. Better yet, you didn’t have the option to experience them because you were just a child.

The world can be an ugly place, and your attitude towards life can change every day. One thing is for certain: you did not lose who you are internally. We all put on a face for the world. For the people who we try to impress. For the life we want to live. For the things we want to achieve.

Your definitive personality is still in the works. Believe it or not, it always will be. Times like this change us for the better even though we can’t see it.

Your happiness will return. You will be a better, stronger version of you. In fact, you will be the best version of you yet.

9 Things To Do In Nashville If You Have No Idea What To Do

Nashville is a great place packed full of lots of really cool smaller great places that all offer their own unique take on the city. If you're like me, though, and have a hard time ~planning ahead~, then this list is exactly what you need. I went around and got lost and tried all the coolest hidden gems in Nashville so you don't have to. Here are some of my faves.

1. Milk & Honey Nashville

Located in the Gulch, Milk & Honey is the coffee shop/cafe from my dreams. It's decorated perfectly for any cute insta story and y'all when I say their coffee is amazing I mean it. Try it. It's so worth it, and pretty easy to find, too! You can browse their menus here.

2. Frothy Monkey Coffee Shop

While we're on the topic of coffee shops, Frothy Monkey is a MUST try. Trust me, I've drunk A LOT of coffee in my lifetime, and theirs is up in the top 10 of the best. They have other good things too, but if you're a coffee person like me, this place is heaven, I promise. It's right off 12th Avenue and within walking distance of lots of other funky little shops.

3. Two Old Hippies

This is the coolest little shop you will ever go into. Tucked away in the Gulch, it's within walking distance of Milk & Honey, so stop by after you grab a coffee and browse. They have everything from handmade clothes to cool books to refrigerator magnets. This is one of my all time favorites and I know you'll love it too.

4. Baked on 8th

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I fell in love the second I saw the cute sign. Baked on 8th has a great atmosphere and even better little pastries, cookies, and cakes. Their cookies were so good it took every ounce of self-control I had to not go back and order 2 dozen. 12/10 would recommend if you're into Instagrammable locations and bomb sugar-filled desserts.

5. Burger Republic

I get it, you've gotta eat more than just cookies and coffee. As far as restaurants go, this place is home to the best burger I've ever eaten, plus the atmosphere is pretty laid back and great, and it's an awesome place to go and watch pretty much any sporting event happening anywhere relatively close to Nashville. Browse the menu so you can know exactly what to order before you even get there here.

6. Fido

In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm a HUGE fan of coffee shops and cafes. Fido was the most perfect little spot. It boasts about its gourmet coffee and great food, and rightfully so. It's also got the coolest funky vibe that makes you just want to sit and stay all day, and it's in a great location and decently close to Vanderbilt.

7. Go see some murals

Nashville is FULL of these bad boys. I know y'all have all seen the countless pictures of those people with big butterfly wings. Well, there's more and they're all around the city and on the side of pretty much every building. It's cliche, but tbh it's also kind of a must do while you're there.

8. Walk around Centennial Park and the Parthenon

This is a really nice place to visit if you're looking to spend a couple of hours away from the concrete of the city, and the Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the one in Greece.

9. Ride one of those little scooters around and explore

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I'm not gonna lie to y'all. I did not ride the scooters. They seem kind of dangerous and I know without a doubt that if I tried to get on one it would not end well for me, the scooter, or anyone within a 3-mile radius. With that being said, though, I did see a lot of people riding them and it looked pretty fun, plus it's a great way to see the city without walking too much. So if you just want to explore, hop on one of these bad boys and pray.

Nashville is a great city full of tons of tourist attractions and amazing musical history, but if you find yourself stuck with nothing to do for a couple of hours before your next walking tour, you're sure to find something on this list that you'll love. So, you're welcome.